In an earlier post, I mentioned the trauma of having to shop for new jeans, which I try not to repeat very often. I thought I was set with the couple of pairs I had. However, a couple of weeks ago I did some laundry and hung it upstairs on the roof to dry. A couple of days later, I noticed that one pair of jeans had never returned from the rooftop. I searched all over and discovered that I was missing two other pairs of pants-one trouser and another pair of jeans. I checked with my roommates, I checked with the maid, I checked with the ironing lady-all to no avail. They were gone.!It sent me over the edge. I can't believe I'm living in a place where people steal clothes (keep in mind that my jeans are tailored to my size too!) right off the line. People tried to suggest that they flew off the line and disappeared, but I had a lot of trouble thinking that it all happened in one day, with items that are so heavy...
I was inconsolable. I kept telling everyone that I was going home in October and not coming back to India. It was the last straw! Everything that I hate about India is consolidated into this one event. It outweighed everything I like about India. I want to go back where things make sense...
Anyway, that was what I was going through for the past couple of weeks. Now, however, I seem to have stabilized (well, as much as I was before!). I bought new jeans and, as of right now, am planning on returning after my vacation to the US in October.
In India's defense, there are plenty of places here in the US that people will steal clothes off of your line. In the US it would probably be done by some punk kids hoping to sell them. In India, at least you've got the chance that the person who took them needed them a lot more than you did, so you can at least be happy that (hopefully) your jeans are clothing somebody who needed clothes or, more likely, sold to feed somebody who needed food.
ReplyDelete-The REAL Anonymous
I agree with the above post. In the US you have people who point a gun at your head for dope money etc...atleast in India they spare your life. No.2, losing a pair of jeans does'nt seem like a very strong reason to HATE INDIA ? Better come up with something better and more convincing..
ReplyDeleteI wish I could believe that, but it's not like I live in an area where there are people that are that poor and desparate milling around. I think it's more probable that one of the maids is happy because now her daughter can wear the latest fashionable jeans without having to spend any money. And one pair, I think, wouldn't have upset me so much, but it was loosing 3 pairs all at once.
ReplyDelete3 pairs !!!! Wells that 3 new pairs for you to buy....in the US, where they fit you better and probably cost a lot more. Suggestion, why dont you just move bag and baggage back to the US. Back to your relegious roots, to bible thumping. There are millions like you who come to India every year, its almost commonplace. We dont need more like you.
ReplyDeleteTo all those idiots coming to defend India, come up with better excuses than you have here. What the bleep that someone needs jeans more than the owner? And the owner should be happy that her jeans was stolen by a needy person rather than punks?
ReplyDeleteHow the hell do you come up with these lame ass stupid conclusions? Watching news headlines and reading few newspapers doesn't give you insight to the psyche of american society or culture. Grow up morons and let the owner of the jeans make up her own mind. Lame excuses and defenses like yours doesn't help the cause, it only hurts the same cause that you are trying to defend.
--Rags
P.S: If you have such strong opinions atleast have the guts to post your real name.
Rags,
ReplyDelete"Watching news headlines and reading few newspapers doesn't give you insight to the psyche of american society or culture."
No, but having been born in the US and having lived here my whole life does. However, my knowledge of India is limited - only through a few friends, newspaper articles, and one week in the country.
Anyways, I am not condoning the theft of the pants, just trying to shed a little perspective and to be encouraging. Although for selfish reasons I would like Lori to return, I want to be encouraging while she is in India.
As for not using my real name, I think everybody around here who actually knows me knows what I go by here. I don't know if we've met, I don't know if you know Lori from Rochester or Chennai. I am Stephen, a friend of Lori's from RIT and the infamous cult house, and one of the two visited her this past spring. (The other was my wife.) Please to meet you, as it is. Perhaps we shall meet some day.
-The REAL Anonymous
whoa, lori!
ReplyDeletewhat is going on in your comments section?
i just wanted to tell you that i feel your pain--a good pair of jeans is hard to find. and you're right, jeans do not get up and fly away by themselves.
socks, yes.
jeans, no.
Its ok.Buy yourself three new pairs!
ReplyDelete